The Myth of Multitasking: Why it Drains Your Focus and Your Wellbeing
by Marion Hewitt | 16 November 2025
Do you notice yourself constantly switching between tasks? Perhaps moving from writing a report to reading a message that comes in? Or maybe cooking dinner whilst helping a child with homework? Or the frequently experienced one of phone scrolling whilst having a conversation?
After a period of jumping between tasks we can feel drained but also that we haven’t achieved much. We might consider we aren’t organised enough or should be able to juggle a couple of tasks, but the reality is that we are trying to do something that the brain simply can’t do.
Multitasking is often treated as a badge of honour and as a society we admire those who appear to juggle multiple demands. However neuroscience explains what is happening inside the brain when we switch between tasks and how this has a negative impact on both our productivity and wellbeing.
What the Brain Is Really Doing When We Think We’re Multitasking
Despite the impression that we’re handling two things at once, the brain is unable to process demanding tasks simultaneously. What feels like multitasking is actually rapid task switching and each switch comes with a cognitive cost.
Cognitive neuroscientist Dr Amishi Jha describes attention as a limited resource which can be strengthened but not stretched indefinitely. Her research shows that the brain’s attention networks work like a spotlight as they can illuminate one task clearly, but become strained and less effective when constantly redirected. The more we flick that spotlight back and forth, the more energy we burn and the less accurate we become.
This is consistent with earlier research showing that switching between tasks slows us down and increases the likelihood of mistakes. One study found that task switching can reduce efficiency by as much as 40%.
Another element of attempting to multi-task is that every switch triggers a brief drop in attention known as the “attentional blink” during which it’s easy to miss crucial information. Our working memory quickly becomes overloaded, especially when multiple channels such as email, notifications, and conversations which we can often experience in the work environment, compete for space. And as the brain tires, the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for planning, decision-making, and emotional regulation, becomes less efficient.
If we think we are not good at multi-tasking it is not a skill to learn, it is something we are not wired to be able to do.
How Multitasking Affects Our Wellbeing
The effects of attempting to multi-task are not limited to performance. Multitasking has a noticeable impact on how we feel, both during and after the working day. When we switch tasks frequently our body slips into a mild state of stress activation. Our heart rate rises, breathing becomes shallower, and cortisol levels increase. It’s a small increase but sustained throughout the day it creates a layer of pressure that many people now consider normal.
It also drains us so we feel tired earlier as whilst we may have been busy we won’t have been productive. Aligned with this, fragmented work rarely results in meaningful completion so we may finish the day with a sense of dissatisfaction. Research supports this, showing that interrupted work increases stress and reduces feelings of accomplishment.
For many people, this contributes to increased irritability, lower resilience, and reduced emotional capacity. Jha’s work identified that unmanaged attentional fatigue links closely to poorer wellbeing and higher risk of burnout.
To summarise, multi-tasking is not just impossible, its draining, increases our stress and undermines both our performance and our psychological health.
What About the Idea That Women Are Better at Multitasking?
Society perpetuates the belief that women are better than men at multitasking. However even if this were true it is not beneficial and when explored further the position is less clear.
A lot of this belief comes from what many women have traditionally been expected to do as they juggle work, childcare, household responsibilities, emotional labour, and everything in between. Whilst this may look like multitasking it is simply trying to manage multiple roles.
Some early studies appeared to show a small female advantage in certain multitasking tasks and those findings spread quickly embedding the belief. But during further research with larger samples or different types of tasks, the supposed advantage mostly disappeared, with some studies showing men performing slightly better in specific situations, usually because of related skills like spatial reasoning. Others showed no difference at all.
When you put all the evidence together there’s no solid proof that women are naturally better at multitasking than men.
The stereotype has a downside as when women are told they should be good at juggling everything, it can become an unspoken expectation to take on more, to cope silently, or to feel like something is wrong if it all feels overwhelming. This has a further negative impact on wellbeing.
The reality is that multitasking isn’t a strength for anyone. What would be beneficial is for everyone to learn to work in the best way for focus and to manage multiple demands.
Practical Ways to Reduce Multitasking
Small adjustments can help us maintain clarity and calm. In turn we will be more productive.
- Try short single-task sprints or try the Pomodoro method
One of the easiest ways to break the habit of multitasking is to work in short, focused bursts. Even 10–20 minutes of giving your full attention to one task can shift your brain into a steadier rhythm.
Another strategy is the Pomodoro method . This requires 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a short break. The time block is long enough to make progress but short enough to feel manageable, especially when you’re overwhelmed or mentally scattered. The fact that a break is coming can reduce anxiety and make it easier to settle into the task.
You don’t have to follow it rigidly, work out what time works best for you. The key is to choose one task, remove distractions, set a timer, and let your brain focus.
Small, deliberate periods of focus help retrain your attention and make multitasking far less tempting.
- Remove visual and digital distractions
This is a small but powerful action. The constant tiny cues we receive from our devices all day trigger switching without us noticing, as we can’t help but be distracted when a notification pops up on the screen.
Review the settings on all your technology. Silence or switch off notifications, close extra tabs, and keep only what you need in front of you. Don’t just think about your work devices but personal ones too as these constant distractions in our personal times has the same draining impact on our wellbeing.
- Protect your natural focus time
Most people have a period of the day when they feel more alert. Identify when your feel most energised and guard this time for high-thinking work. Treat it as you would a meeting with someone important and protect the time. When you align focus with peak energy it will reduce the brain energy required and make flow (the opposite of multitasking) much more likely.
- Use micro-mindfulness to reset your attention
Multitasking is often a response to internal restlessness. Take time to pause between tasks to ground yourself and reset. A few slow deep breaths or noticing your feet on the ground can reset your attention system. These brief moments help calm the nervous system and make it easier to stay with one task.
- Set a clear intention before you start
Simply naming what you intend to do primes your brain for steadiness. Setting a clear intention helps reduce drift in our thinking and gives our attention an anchor. It’s a technique supported by attentional training research.
- Use the two-minute rule for tiny tasks
Some tasks are so small that they’re not worth planning or adding to our to-do list. This is where the two-minute rule, made popular by Allen’s ‘Getting Things Done’, is helpful. If a task takes less than two minutes, do it now. Deal with it, clear it, move on.
This reduces mental clutter and prevents these small jobs from piling up and encouraging more switching later. It’s about clearing the easy wins that compete for mental space and contribute to overwhelm.
- Notice when task switching is emotional rather than practical
Multitasking often isn’t about efficiency but about avoiding discomfort. We switch because a task feels boring, uncertain, difficult, or risky in some way. Perhaps we don’t know where to start with a new project or our confidence in our ability to do something well is low.
Simply noticing why you want to switch helps you choose intentionally and develop a strategy to get going. For example, identify your high energy part of the day and set yourself a 25-minute block of time to get started. Often once we have got over the getting going, we will progress.
Self-awareness reduces the emotional pull of multitasking and supports calmer, more grounded focus.
Choose Focus
When we stop trying to multitask we don’t just get more done, we also feel calmer. Our mind is clearer and we feel more grounded. In this state we have more space to think, breathe, and work in a way that supports our wellbeing rather than draining it.
Take Action
If multitasking has been leaving you drained, experiment with slowing the pace and focusing on one thing at a time. Notice how your mind and body respond. Even tiny moments of intentional focus can help you feel calmer, clearer, and more in control.
To explore more strategies for improving wellbeing, attention, and focus, visit Protea Solutions for further insights and resources and to discuss options for webinars and training within your organisation.
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Call 07980 513646 or send us an email marionhewitt@proteasolutions.co.uk